Changes
by AlTHR33
Summary: Feli had always wanted Lovi to love him, but when Lovi suddenly becomes sweet and adorable, he can't help but want his old fratello back. Now, with everyone falling victim to Lovi's charm, the changes in his fratello bring about some changes in Feli too.
1. An Unknown Cause

See this? This is what happens when you combine a RP conversation with my Romano with my own, lonely angstiness! I don't even remember the conversation. All I know is I got a text one day that just said "Feliciano!" and after I answered I got "Ti amo, Feliciano, ti amo!" Basically I learned that she had been eating pasta and it had affected her greatly. I said something about everyone liking him (Lovi) better and forgetting about me (Feli) and what it would cause me to do, but if I told you what that was it would ruin the story!

Warning, there is, again, no Ita-cest in this story. Eventually, there may not even be brotherly love, but only time shall tell! Pairings that I foretell showing up are: Spamano, maybe, Gerita, very light hints of it though, and I'm thinkin a little Mr. awesome x –bleep—may just have to happen! (I'm not gonna tell you who, because then it wouldn't be as adorable…I guess…that's my logic)

Also, to those who know me personally, -cough—myspainandlovi—cough—as I said, this is also born of my own…stuff…so you really shouldn't read on. If you do, I don't wanna hear a word about how I need to "stop being angsty" (as a certain someone openly said) or anything of the like. I'll be angsty as I so please, because it makes for an entertaining story! :3

I'm not sure if this is really a great idea, but I like where I'm thinking of taking it. This is just basically an explanation of how it all started, so you should give it a chapter or two before writing it off, ja?

As an added note, this is only a 2,400 word chapter. Anyone who's read one of my other stories would be able to tell you that THIS JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN! They WILL grow in length, and these little author's letters? They don't go away, so if they annoy you, learn to skip them just scroll down and you'll find my characteristic disclaimer that goes a little something like so…:

**I DON'T OWN HETALIA: AXIS POWERS/WORLD SERIES (because if I did, Italy would have a lot of inner angst. :3)**

~.~.~

"Oi, Veneziano, where the hell are you?" Lovino called out angrily as he let himself into his brother's house in Venice. He had simply assumed that Veneziano was here, since he hadn't seen him in their shared house in Rome. Taking a look around, though, he knew that it had been several days since his brother had been here, too. Sighing irritably, his nose crinkled as he realized where his stupid little brother was bound to be. _He's probably with his damn Macho Potato Bastard. _

The thought of his brother's German friend brought a bad taste in his mouth, and he didn't hesitate to spit it straight onto the expensive wool rug of the houses foyer. He stepped on the watery saliva, grinding it into the carpet with the toe of his boot. _Serves the bastard right. He might fucking _tell _me when he's going somewhere. _

He turned to leave, when a loud growl sounded from his stomach. He instantly tensed up and looked around himself savagely. If anyone was there to hear that, he'd rip their throat out, but alas, he was alone.

He now realized how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten all day, and the stupid tomato bastard had worked him like a fucking dog in the harvest. He had intended to make Veneziano cook something for him, or treat him to lunch at a restaurant, but seeing as the little idiot was in Germany, which was further away than Rome _or_ Sicily (where his house resided) he'd have to feed himself.

But he really didn't want to cook…

Shrugging, he walked into the kitchen of the house, opening the fridge. What he found made him growl in disgust.

His stupid brother hadn't made pizza at all recently, but he had a whole fucking _stock _of pasta. Lovino loved pasta almost as much as he loved pizza, but he refused to eat any made by Veneziano. The bastard actually had the nerve to say that he made better pasta than Romano, and to show him that he was wrong Romano had banned himself from eating the crap. He had never even tried it!

"Stupid Veneziano…" he muttered spitefully as he pulled out a Tupperware tub of cooked spaghetti, grabbing the accompanying bin of tomato pasta sauce to put on it. He could see right through his brother's stupid scheme. He was _forcing _him to eat his cruddy pasta, right? Well if he was going to do it he was going to eat the tomato sauce, none of that nasty Alfredo crap!

He put the stupid pasta in the microwave, not even bothering to cover it as he heated it up. Stopping the timer seconds before it beeped (he couldn't stand the ugly sound it made) he pulled out the plate of sizzling spaghetti, slamming the microwave door and stomping over to the table. At least it didn't smell bad…

Cringing at what he was about to do, Lovino spun the fork in the pasta, and lifted the glop of tomato-y nastiness to his mouth. Cursing his brother one last time, he held his breath and shoved the food onto his waiting pallet.

~.~.~

Feliciano burst through the doors of his house, tears running down his face. "Veee~! Romanooo~! Nii-chan, are you still here?" He noticed a rather unsightly dark spot on his rug, along with dirty footsteps that he followed to his kitchen. "Nii-chan, I'm so sorry! I was at Doitsu's house when Spain-nii called me and told me you wanted to have lunch together!" As he walked in through the doorway of the dining area, he smelled leftover spaghetti, and his stomach grumbled. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and Germany had worked him exceedingly hard during daily training today.

He was shocked at what he found in the kitchen. Sitting at his table with a plate of almost gone pasta before him was his brother. He had a fork in his mouth and tears in his eyes, and his cheeks were flushed considerably.

Noticing Veneziano standing there, watching him, Lovino's cheeks flushed an even darker red. "Ve-Vene…" He jumped up from his seat, dropping the fork back into the little bits of pasta that remained. Feliciano tensed at this, and began to fidget nervously.

"V-vee, nii-chan, you're not angry are you…?" Cautiously, Feli began to back away, ready to bolt and retreat if Lovi suddenly dove for him or picked up a sharp object to fling at him.

Caught off guard, Feli curled up into a ball when Lovino tackled him into an embrace. "No, Romano, don't hurt me, please!"

Lovino could feel his brother's trembling, and looked at him curiously. Feli's tears were flowing freely down his face. "Nyah, Vene-chan! I won't hurt you!" As if to prove this, he tightened his hold on his brother in an affectionate hug. "I'm sorry, fratello, don't be afraid!"

Confused, Feli began to relax, looking up at his brother quizzically. "L-Lovi, are you feeling alright?" he stuttered out, still trembling. He pulled his arm out from his brother's iron grip, pushing the back of his hand to Lovino's forehead. "You don't feel warm…" he observed, absently.

Lovino began to sob softly, burying his face into Feliciano's neck. "I'm so so sorry, Vene-chan. Your pasta really is better than mine!" As Lovi cried into his collar, Feli just sat there, trying to figure out what was wrong with his fratello if it wasn't fever. He didn't know of anything else that made one delusional…

"Lovi, I told you, I didn't say it was better. All I said was that you could make it better by adding more spices, that's all!" Of course, he did like his better, but his fratello's was good too. Delicious even. He was just a little more inventive with the flavor, is all.

"But it is better! Oh, fratello, I should have listened to you!" Lovino continued to sob, the tears staining Feliciano's uniform. He suddenly looked up and into his little brother's eyes pleadingly. "W-will you teach me how to cook?"

Feli smiled ecstatically. "O-of course! I'll teach you anything that I can, fratello!" he exclaimed. His fratello actually wanted to spend time with him!

"Then will you…" Lovi mumbled sheepishly, burying his face back into his little brother's shoulder. "Will you teach me how to draw, too?"

This set Feli back for a moment, but he quickly got over it and was even more overjoyed than before. "Si, fratello, I'd love to!" His brother had never really cared for art, but if anyone could teach him it was Feli. "How about lunch first, though? I'm starving!"

Lovino's eyes widened as he jumped up off of his brother and tried to help him up. "O-oi! Sorry, Vene-chan!"

Feli stood and brushed himself off, walking over to the fridge and opening it. "I guess you already ate, but are you still hungry, fratello?" Lovino nodded eagerly, making Feliciano giggle. "Did you want me to make you a pizza?"

Lovino blushed and shook his head. "I-I did, but could I have some more pasta, instead?"

Feliciano was surprised. Lovi _never _turned down his pizza. Granted, his pasta was pretty delicious, too. "Well, okay then. Do you want more spaghetti, or I could give you another kind. I've got a few different kinds of tomato sauce—"

"A-actually," Lovino interjected. "I…I'd like to try the Alfredo, per favore…"

Feli looked at him, somewhat shocked. He looked down at the creamy sauce's bin, pulling it out with accompanying fettuccini. He thought he ought to keep it simple for now. "Alright…that was what I was going to have, anyway…"

Spooning out the pasta and sauce, he covered them carefully, opening the microwave. His eyes widened at the disgusting state of his microwave. Tomato sauce everywhere…

Sighing, he wetted a washcloth to scrub down the mess. He never thought he'd dislike pasta sauce this much.

Noticing what his brother was doing, Lovino suddenly flushed scarlet, and his eyes filled with tears again as he let out a soft whimper.

Feli turned around upon hearing the pitiful sound, and dropped the washcloth when he saw Lovino crying again. He rushed over to his brother, hugging him around the waist. "Oi, nii-chan! What's wrong, ve?"

Between little gasps, Lovino explained, guiltily, what had happened from the time he walked in the door of the house to the moment he heated up the spaghetti. By the end of the story he was sniffling and wiping his eyes every few words. "I-I'm sorry, fratello, I—was angry and—now you have to—clean up my—mess…"

Feli didn't really care about the mess that much, and he could tell how ashamed of it Lovi felt. He patted his older brother's shoulder. "Don't worry, Lovi, it's not that hard to clean up! At least it's not dried on too badly!" His comfort seemed to sooth Lovino, as the older Italian's tears slowly stopped.

He looked at Feli sadly, but then his expression brightened. "A-alright fratello, but you're not cleaning up the mess of it, I am!" With that he ran over to the microwave, picking up the cloth and wetting it again, and started meticulously scrubbing down the inside of the dirty appliance.

Feli watched him without argument. His brother was _willingly _cleaning?

Idly, he wondered if the boy before him even _was _Lovino.

~.~.~

Of course Feli loved Spain, he was his brotherly figure when all of the other nations simply wanted a piece of his land (and his churros were possibly the most delicious fried, cinnamon covered snack in the entire world), but this wasn't his reason for wanting to visit him today.

"Well, I was kind of mean to him before I left. I guess we could go over there, and I could tell him I'm sorry… I just hope he isn't _too _mad at me…" _That _was why Feli wanted to go. He wanted to know what had happened to his older brother, since Spain was the last to see him before he went to Venice. This…person before him couldn't really be Lovino, could it? He hadn't even said one mean thing all throughout lunch. In fact, he'd done the opposite.

"Wow, Vene-chan, this is tasty, too! It doesn't even have tomatoes in it, and it's still this yummy? You're amazing, fratello!" 'Yummy' really wasn't a word that fit his brother's dialect. It was a stretch to even imagine him saying the food wasn't 'half bad.' And then there was that name, 'Vene-chan.' Where Lovino had picked that up Feli couldn't even begin to imagine. And that last statement…

Feli teared up. Lovi never called anybody amazing, except maybe himself. And he hadn't called Feli 'fratello' in such a long time…

So, maybe he seemed happier, and that was great, and he finally seemed to love Feliciano, which was all the little Italian could ever hope for, but it just wasn't _Lovi!_

"Nyaaah~! Venetia is so pretty, fratello!" exclaimed Lovino, gaping at the amazing sights of Feli's home as they sped towards Spain, pulling his brother out of his reeling thoughts. "And your people are so happy!"

"Yes, fratello, they always have been," Feli answered sadly. _Who are you? _Why was he suddenly making that sound all the time?

Lovino looked at his little brother, suddenly confused by the solemn tone of Feli's usually happy voice. "Are you okay, mio fratello?"

Feli winced. _He would never call me that…_

"Of course. I'm just tired…"

Lovi nodded as if he understood completely. "Mr. Germany must have worked you very hard! When we get back home we should take a siesta together, okay?" Feli sighed. _"Get away from me, idiota! You smell like garlic and potatoes, no fucking way I'm sleeping with you!" _That was what Lovino said the last time Feli wanted to take a siesta with his fratello.

"Alright, Lovi. That sounds great!" He tried to force a smile onto his face, but all he got was watering eyes.

~.~.~

"Hola, Ita-chan! You came to visit!" Antonio wrapped Feli into a warm hug, making him feel a little better than he had in the car.

He giggled joyfully. "Buon'giorno, Spain-nii! How have you been lately? I haven't seen you in—"

Behind him, Lovino made a small noise of discontent. He stopped immediately. It wasn't the usual huff or grunt of irritation, or the ordinary cursing under his breath. No, the sound Lovino had made was more of a little "peep" in sadness, and it made both Antonio and Feli freeze and look at him.

Lovi blushed and looked down at his feet, tears filling his eyes. He bit his lip and twiddled his thumbs anxiously.

Antonio simply dropped Feliciano, making the younger Italian's heart sink. "Hey, Romano, are you alright, mi amigo?" As Antonio reached out to the crying boy, he cringed as if Spain had intended to hurt him. "Hey, Lovino! I was coming to you next! It's just been a really long time since—"

Without allowing him to finish, Lovino suddenly wrapped his arms around Antonio's waist, burying his face into the Spaniards dirty uniform shirt. Spain froze as Lovi cried and whimpered apologies into his chest. "Tonio, I was so mean to you! You don't hate me, do you? Please say no! I love you Toni, okay? I'm sorry, I love you! I was just—"

"Woah, Lovi! Calm down. It's okay, I lo—" Antonio cleared his throat, blushing. "I love you too, I don't hate you. I couldn't ever hate you, Lovino, you're my little tomato! I know you didn't mean those things, I'm used to it—"

Lovi cried harder. "What do you mean 'you're used to it'? Am I really that mean?" He looked up at Antonio, his face horribly tear streaked.

"Th-that's not what I meant! L-let's just go inside, okay? I'll make you some hot chocolate or something…" Thus, Antonio led the crying Lovino, still cuddled underneath his arm, into the brightly colored Spanish house. "I know, how about some churros!" he offered

Feli froze in his tracks. _Wait, what?_

Lovino beamed, sniffing and nodding at the suggestion. "That sounds great!"

Happy that he had calmed his little Italian's tears, Antonio laughed, allowing the door to shut behind him, while Feli just stared at the solid oak wood now before him. He couldn't believe what was happening. He knew that Spain and Lovi were close but…

_I thought churros were _our _thing…_

~.~.~

See, now wasn't that fun? (The rest shall be "author's letter" so you can skip down to the last few lines if all you want is important info)

You know, that last line kinda makes things awkward, doesn't it? Like Feli's got a little crush or something, but that's simply not the case. You shall SEE what happens when the person he's crushing on comes into play. Yes, yes you shall. That is unless you deny this story which would be not so –bleep-ing awesome.

Honestly, I like writing angry Romano more than I like writing cute Romano. I guess I just like the freedom to swear, which is always a good time. I do find the whole "Nyaaa~" and "Vene-chan" things to be utterly adorable, though! (In case you couldn't guess, he's pretty much starting to act like Feli, at least that's what I'm going for. The "Nya" is equivalent to "Ve" and the nickname is just something that any cute character would do. I think Tonio will suffice for the nickname of Spain.)

A note about the name Antonio: I really effing hate that name. It's not because I dislike the name itself, but typing I have this reoccurring typo with it that I might not always catch. Somehow, almost any time I type the name my pinky has a random spasm or something and I end up typing Antonia. If this should happen and I don't catch it (which I should because I proofread a LOT) then it's not a special occurrence, it's just a typo, a TYPO! For some reason I picture doing that in context with something like Lovi saying "I love you, Antonia!" and having people who speak a Latin based language going "Are you implying that Spain is now a girl, because if you are you're a BAD PEEERSON!" I'm not a bad person, I just have random pinky spasms, apparently.

Hmm, so I guess that's it. I'm just gonna wait out a few reviews to continue this, which if I get them I won't do again, because I think that doing so is total BS on my part. I just need a little proof that people want to see it continued, because honestly it may not even be that good. I think OOC-ness is okay when it's on purpose, but you may not.

So, my point? Leave a review, per favore! Oh, and in this review you can tell me whatever you like. If I deserve to be flamed, then do it, but you can't hate a story and not tell me why, that's the epitome of CRUEL! (If all the reviews I get are flames I won't continue, though)

And, should you choose to review, I'd like a little input on just one thing in particular: Should or should Feli not follow them into the house? It'll be just as angsty either way, but I'm torn between the two. Either way, next chapter will almost certainly introduce Germany, maybe Japan too…eventually, almost all of the characters that know and have feelings toward either Italy or Romano will show up, so be ready if there are any that you dislike a lot…like Turkey, or I know a certain someone who hates Prussia (Lovi, you jerk) though how anyone could hate his Awesomeness is beyond me.

Ha, if you read both letters, you just read 3,400 words of purely my rambling! Wasn't it totally worth your time?

Hope to hear from you, and then if I do I hope to see you again in chapter 2~! Ciao for now!


	2. Slipping and Falling

Oh no, Microsoft Office died on me! Now I don't have a grammar check engine! What ever will I do?

Yeah, just an FYI, you're all probably going to have to deal with a ton of mistakes that aren't custom to me, but I'm gonna continue to write all my stories. I'm just going to have to write in bloody note pad and proofread even closer than I usually do...dammit, what am I gonna do? I need Word to do my big ass project in English!

Well, there's my ranting for my cruddy circumstances...I don't really think I have anything to say. I know, you're all going "FUCK YEAH! NO GODDAMN LETTER THIS TIME!" and my words to that are, "Don't swear, it's fucking rude," (that's a quotation from some itacest fanfiction. I'll look it up and site it next chapter, because it's one of my favorite Lovi quotes of any fanfic ever! and if you don't mind that couple, you should read the story because it's cute)

So, uh, without further ado:

**I DO NOT OWN HETALIA: AXIS POWERS/WORLD SERIES! (because if I did, this fanfiction would not exist. Who else agrees that "cute-Lovi" just doesn't compare with the real, angsty Romano?)**

~.~.~

Feli stood staring at the closed oak door for at least twenty minutes, until finally it opened again, Antonio standing in the frame smiling apologetically. "S-sorry Ita-chan! I was so surprised by the way Lovi was acting, I just kind of...forgot that you were here too!" _Such honesty in that, _Feli noted sadly, staring at the Spaniard before him. Oh well, at least he was sincere...

Spain waited anxiously for Feli's blank expression to brighten, or even to darken. Upset or bubbly, either way would have been more like Ita-chan than this sulky silence. He put his hand on the small Italian's shoulder. "Ita-chan, are you alright, amigo?" He looked into the amber eyes, his stomach in a tight knot until a slight trace of light filled them again.

"Ye-yeah, isn't he acting weird?" Feli agreed, forcing himself to let go of his hurt and replace it with his custom warmth and joy. Of course this weird side of Lovi shocked Spain. Besides himself, or possibly even more than that, Lovi was closer to Antonio than he was to any other person, nation or human alike. Obviously he'd be shocked that the little Italian had changed so much, and he'd seen him mere hours before. "I thought maybe you'd know something about it, big brother."

Spain scratched his head thoughtfully, thinking back to the harvest that morning. Instinctively at the memory, his other hand flew to his stomach, and he clutched the still sore spot from that morning's chigi-ing. "N-no, he left just like he usually does..." he said, grimacing.

So Antonio had no idea, either. Feli sighed, defeated, then smiled brightly. "Well, I guess it must've been something that happened in Italy, then." He looked up at the Spaniard, who was still reliving his stomach crunching morning with a pained expression. "I-I guess I'll just see you later then, big brother. Tell Lovi that our siesta will have to wait." Having said that, he turned back to his car to return to Italy and investigate. This sort of thing didn't just happen, after all.

"W-w-wait, Ita-chan!" Antonio called out frantically. Feli began to turn to see what the man wanted, only to find himself engulfed by the beige fabric of Spain's uniform in a tight, captive hug. "C'mon, mi amigo, you don't _really _have to go, do you? I hardly ever get to see you anymore! Where do you have to go all of a sudden?" Feli struggled his way into a position that enabled him to breathe, and looked up into the pleading emerald eyes.

"B-big brother, I have to go back to-"

Spain shook his head, then locked eyes with the little Italian again. "Germany can wait for you, he gets to see you all the time anyway! C'mon, tomate, come _oooon~_!" Feli froze, and shook his head, tears coming to his eyes.

"D-don't, big brother, I have to!" he insisted, wriggling and snaking his way out of the tight grip around him. The job of a farmer definitely paid off, sometimes.

Antonio nuzzled him, making escape futile unless Feli was willing to hurt him. "But whyyyy~?" he whined.

"Be-because," he explained, out of breath from the impossible fight. He gave up and went limp. "I have to go back to Italy to find out what's wrong with Lovi."

At this the Spanish man looked at the small boy in his iron clutches. "Why would you want to do that?" he asked, sincere as per usual for him.

Feli stopped, and thought over the matter. Why did he feel the immense need to change everything back? He blushed and looked away, caught without an answer. "Because he's..." He again gave a very distressed sigh. "He's not my brother..."

Antonio didn't hold back as he laughed heartily at the boys reasoning. "Come on and come inside, and if you still wanna leave I'll let you, okay amigo?"

Feli nodded, and followed closely behind the brunette man into the big, cheerful house. Once in the sitting room, both of them gasped, but Antonio's was followed by a chuckle. "You see?" he said, gesturing to the sleeping Lovino sprawled lazily on his couch. "Look at him, Ita-chan. I never saw him looking so peaceful all throughout his childhood, and now as an adult, he's finally happy." Walking over and kneeling next to the couch, he stroked the soft, dark colored hair that was already ruffled by sleep. "I wanna know what caused it all, too, but for now does it really matter? He's happy."

Feli's heart lunged as he was overcome with the guilt of having been upset about it all. His big brother was right, Lovi was happy, and he wasn't hiding it for once. Tip-toeing over next to the Spaniard, he looked down at the peaceful expression on his brother's face, and smiled serenely himself. "Heh, silly fratello..."

Antonio looked up him. He smiled sadly to himself. "And this is why I wanted all of us to live together. If it's cute now, how would it have been when you two were _little_!" Feli heard the mumbling, but couldn't make out words. His eyes moved from Lovi to Toni. He was shocked to find that Spain was now gazing at him, with a similar look in his eye that one could find in Francis.

Blushing and anxious about the awkward look, he quickly averted his eyes back to his fratello. "Wh-what?" he stuttered nervously.

Antonio chuckled. "Ah, nothing," he hummed soothingly. "Do you want a cup of hot chocolate, too, Ita-chan?" He stood up, stretching as the blood rushed freely once more, smiling and making a small groan at the feeling as his sore muscles ached from the odd crouching position. After a whole day of picking tomatoes (which he had continued to do even after Lovi had left. In fact, he had still been doing it when the Italians had first arrived, hence the dirty uniform that now had caked mud rather than dry dirt) sitting that way for more than a small amount time wasn't too great of an idea.

"No," Feli mumbled, gazing fondly at the light pink dusted over his brother's usually bright red cheeks. Such bliss there. "C-can I have a churro, though?" he asked sheepishly.

Antonio tensed, promptly smacking himself in the forehead with his palm. "Oi, Ita-chan! Los siento, mi tomate! I forgot to ask you if you wanted one, and I _know _how much you like them." He dashed out of the room, toward the kitchen. Soon, though, he poked his head back in and looked quizzically at the Italian. "I've got some dough already risen, you want a fresh one? It'll take longer..."

Looking back with his signature bright smile, Feli eagerly nodded at the Spaniard.

Of course, a _fresh _churro was worth more time, but the the wait itself is what really appealed to him. As soon as Spain was out of sight and out of mind, Feli took his place on the ground next to his beloved brother.

He wanted just a little time to watch Lovi by himself.

~.~.~

Feli was nudged awake, startled back to reality from his slumber. He couldn't remember the dream that had been interrupted, but somehow he felt that he didn't want to. He was aware of a very dull ache in his chest, and looking up into his brother's blurry face, realized his eyes held tears.

Wiping them away, he found Lovi, who seemed groggy from his nap. He wore a confused and slightly concerned expression, looking back at Feli who lifted his head from where it had lay, cranked to rest on his arm on the couch. He was still kneeling next to Lovi on the ground, but had somehow dozed off. He quickly took note of the fact that his and Lovi's fingers were intertwined.

Looking at them sadly, Feli sighed at the sight. _I'm allowed to hold your hand now too?_ Recalling all of the times he had barely touched Lovino's fingers and been cruelly reprimanded for the contact, he shook his head to dismiss the throbbing in his temples. _Who are you? _he caught himself wondering, closing his eyes to clear his head.

"Vene-chan! Why would you fall asleep like that?" Lovino cried. Feli's mouth twitched in irritation, which he quickly stifled and smiled apologetically at his brother. "Now you're going to have a sore neck!"

His smile dropped slightly. "I thought you wanted to take a siesta together, fratello," he explained, confused by Lovi's words. That is what he said.

The older Italian blinked in shock, blushing. "I-I'm sorry! I guess it _was_ me who fell asleep without you...but we could both fit on the couch!" He tried to scoot over so Feli could join him, but the younger boy knew better than to think such a small area was enough for Lovi by himself, let alone the two of them.

He laughed jovially. "Silly fratello, we're not both going to fit." He pushed himself to his feet, rubbing his neck during the process. It was a bit stiff.

Suddenly he could smell the buttery cinnamon wafting in through the halls to the kitchen. The pain in his chest dulled again to nothing more than a vague emptiness, and the apology in his smile vanished. He looked back at Lovi, who had his head laid down again, his eyes half lidded. The boy yawned, working to stay conscious. "B-...But, Vene-...chan..." he tried to protest, nodding in exhaustion.

Feliciano laughed. "I'm not even tired anymore, fratello. Why don't you just go back to sleep? I'm going to go check on Big Brother, see if he needs anything."

Smiling, Lovi relaxed his neck and fell instantly back into his blissful state. Feli giggled to himself. _He's like...a kitty. _He ran his fingers through his brother's hair, careful to avoid the pesky one that would surely wake him up, should he accidentally touch it. He shuddered at the thought at what his fratello would do to him if he did.

_Mio fratello, _he thought, wistfully. _When he was normal._

Shaking away the thought, he quickly bounced up, regaining his joyful nature. He pranced into the kitchen, finding Antonio (who was thoroughly covered in flour, with a few spots of cinnamon on his apron and arms) in the midst of a wreck with a plate of churro's in his hands. He smiled brightly, gliding over to the Italian, who stood gaping at him.

Taking one of the hot churros and wedging it into Feliciano's open mouth, the Spaniard gave a disapproving tint to his eternal grin. "C'mon, Ita-chan! I made them specially, don't let it get cold!"

Moving his hand to his mouth and grabbing the fried treat, pulling it while biting down and chewing the piece in his mouth. They were better warm!

Taking another bite, he looked up at Antonio guiltily. "I-" He swallowed. "I didn't know it was going to end up making this much of a mess!"

The Spaniard merely laughed. "Well, I might have made a hefty job for myself, but I was going to make them anyway, and I had to show you that I'm sorry." He laughed, finally looking at the catastrophic cleaning he'd have to do. He cringed a little bit, suddenly aware of just how tired he was from cooking and the harvest combined. "Well," he sighed. "Might as well start if I wanna get to sleep tonight." He laughed, though he was entirely serious in the statement. "How about you take Lovi and go home. He doesn't have to harvest anything tomo-"

Grabbing a dry rag off of the counter, Feli poised for work. "No, I'll help you!"

Spain looked at him in confusion. "Wh-what?" He pondered everything he knew about the small Italian. "But you don't like to clean anymore than Lovi does," he pointed out.

"So?" Feli denied. "You made the mess because I asked you to so-"

"You didn't ask me to, I did it myself-"

Feli shook his head urgently. "No, I want to help!" he assured the Spaniard, beginning to wipe the counters with the dry cloth.

Sighing, Spain shook his head. "Well then," he ordered. "At least finish your churro, before it's cold.."

Happy to oblige, Feli munched gratefully on the cinnamon-sugar covered treat. When the entire thing was gone he wiped his mouth and dusted his hands off.

As he again regained the cloth he began diligently scrubbing the counters, feeling true joy at Antonio's grateful, smiling expression each time he glimpsed over. He giggled to himself and began to softly hum a spirited Vivaldi piece he hadn't heard in a long time.

~.~.~

Feli was dusting off the last crevice of the huge kitchen, scrubbing up the last remains of flour and cinnamon from the surface of the counter tops and intricately carved cupboard doors. When he was sure all of the flour had been swept into his cloth, he dumped the powder into the garbage. He smiled, inwardly giggling at the countless times he had made pasta in Germany's house, being constantly reminded to keep the room decent. _It's been a while since I've really _cleaned. _Ludi is always doing it for me._

Throwing the cloth aside, he found another, wetting it and grabbing a cleaning solvent from underneath the sink. He sprayed a thin layer of it onto the smooth surface of the counter and began to diligently scrub, trying to wipe away any sugar or flour that had accidentally gotten wet while Antonio was cooking.

Noticing the boy's new occupation, Spain dropped his station at the stove top, where he had been clearing the area of all oil splatters and extra dough. "Oi, Ita-chan!" He dashed over to where the Italian was working, reaching around his waist to retrieve the damp cloth and squirt bottle.

Startled by the sudden contact Feliciano jumped, holding the supplies just out of the Spaniard's reach. He blushed and took in a sharp breath. "B-big brother, wha-"

Spain stretched his arms, feeling Feli's muscles contract to do the same. His fingers skimmed the bottle, but he wasn't able to get grip. He huffed out in irritation. "I didn't invite you into my house to clean! Wiping up the flour was enough, I'll do the rest later!"

Feli's back arched, trying to push Antonio away from him. He held the supplies as far from the hands that reached to possess them as possible, supporting them by only the tips of his fingers. "B-but...I-I was actually enjoying it! P-please, big brother, sto-no!" he cried out as the bottle rolled off his fingers. Forgetting about the being he supported, he lunged forward, scared of what would happen if the bottle fell to the ground from the high counter top.

Antonio, still pushing to get the cleaner, fell onto Feli, who slipped on the puddle on the counter and now lay flat against it face down with the full weight of his Spanish friend crushing him into it. He unwillingly let out a stifled moan, half at the pain of the counter top's edge being pressed into his abdomen, and half from the sound of breaking plastic as the bottle fell from his sight, down to the hard tile floor. He cringed at the sound of liquid dripping and trickling onto the marble.

Due purely to shock, it took Antonio a moment to process what had happened. It took until he felt the silent sobbing wrack Feliciano's small frame beneath him to snap him back to reality, shoving himself up off the counter top as rapidly as possible.

Not rapidly enough, though.

As he pulled the trembling boy up onto his feet a shaky, loud sudden breath was heard from the doorway. He quickly steadied Feli, and his eyes shot to the source of the sound. After Feli wiped the toxic solvent from his eyes and mouth, he looked too.

What he saw was Romano, staring with wide eyes and a trembling lip. For half an instant he saw a look of hatred and fury pass through the hazel eyes as they passed between Feli and Toni, giving longer intervals to the Spaniard. The familiar expression was gone as soon as it came, though, and soon all Feli could see in his brother's eyes was hurt, betrayal, confusion, and loneliness. Lovi's lips formed words, but his vocal cords didn't join them. His eyes began to wander the room senselessly. Finally they fell to the floor, staring widely as the tears flowed and dropped to his feet. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.

"V-Ve-ne-ch-chan...T-Toni-o...Ho-ow c-could yo-ou...?" he cried out choppily, his voice a low murmur.

Realizing what Lovino must have thought, Antonio dropped his hands from on crying Italian, rushing over to the other. "Hey, Romano, it's okay! You don't have to cry, it's not-" He thought over his words, trying to find the least suspicious sounding explanation. "Ita-chan just slipped, okay?" He forced the boy to look him in the eye, then pulled him into a gentle hug. He rubbed the back of Romano's head, which was again buried into his chest, crying.

Having sunken to the floor, Feli continued to sob, albeit a lot more silently than Lovi. His eyes stung from both the tears and the cleaning solution. Forcing himself to his unstable legs, he watched the display in front of him as Antonio tried to convince Lovino that his accusations of favoritism were wrong, that he did love him every bit as much as he liked his brother.

Feeling horribly forgotten and alone, Feliciano slowly backed towards the back door that lead to the tomato fields. When his hand clenched firmly around the knob, he whipped around and dashed into the maze-like fields.

As soon as he was deep into the crops, he fell back to his knees, and let out a peep of a wail. The tears in his eyes couldn't wash away the sting of the cleaner, though they were flowing quite heavily by now, and the taste in his mouth reminded him that he should have flushed his face with water. He could clearly remember Hungary's careful instruction from when he was young and working in Austria's house of how to deal with toxic chemical ingestion.

He considered turning back, taking care of himself, and then calmly driving back to Venice where he could sort through things on his own, but he denied the idea. He couldn't stand to see that person again. He couldn't bring himself to hate, or even to not love, this person, but there was just something in him that Feli couldn't deal with. Though now he shook, unable to keep his feet steady, he pushed himself to his feet, running through the field until he found a trail, trusting that it would lead him out.

And, despite the occasional tripping and falling, he ran as he would from any situation that made him feel so...helpless. With the speed of a racehorse, in full retreat.

~.~.~

Well, there you have it. Chapter two. Sorry, that moment in the kitchen? It just had to happen. Why? Because after dirty conversation after another with my Spain, she somehow convinced me that it was okay. Thinking over it, I knew there would be...ehem, certain people, who might stop the second the two got close to each other, but I honestly don't give a crap. I had permission from my Antonio, who seems to think that any Hetalia couple is adorable. I can't really deny her on most of them. I kinda think this one is cute too, but i'm partial to all couples involving Feliciano. In fact, I even considered writing a story about our conversation about whipped cream and darkSpain. It may happen, we'll just have to wait and see. This story? That was all just them being clutzy and Lovi misreading the situation. Pretty awesome, ja...?


	3. More Than an Alliance

Okie dokie, so you know what I realized? I totally lied to all of you! I was all like "Germany'll be in the next chapter" and you were totally like "Yay, we bleeping loooove Germany~!" then came chapter 2 and I was like "Nope, no Germany for you!" but I totally didn't realize it until JUST NOW! Well, about an hour ago actually. But I liked chapter two...even though it only got like...two reviews...to those two, I bleeping love you and you can take that to the bank! (love is like money, if you don't blow it all at once and hold it in safety you slowly gain more :D) Don't worry, that crucial detail will be amended. Lud shall have his take in the story, I swear by it! Cuz I bleeping love him, too! (Even if my own takes a particular favor of my Romano...you totally didn't hear that, or read it. D,: )

And by the by, if you wanted to check out the Ita-cest fic that I quoted last chapter it's called In Sickness by Double Spoiler. It's pretty awesome, so you might just want to (and Romano flips out on Mr. Awesome in it, which is pretty bleeping hilarious. I love that fic.) Actually...it's not Ita-cest, I lied. It's brotherly love, but there's a little bit of GerIta in there, and those two couples are my favorites so one is no better than the other.

Hmm, this chapter, after rereading I realized, really resembles my thought process a lot more than I wanted it to. Have you ever had a breakdown where you lay down and think "Oh god, when was the last time I felt this way" and your mind goes to some awful memory of a time or catastrophe that was so much worse? For me, that time was when the one person in the world who loved me and always would (my grandma. you think "Big deal, people die when they get old, that's what happens," and I say "Bleep you, that doesn't erase the pain!"). I always think about that when I'm having my little episodes, because it's like "What the Hell are you thinking. You just shouldn't be able to feel that pain again if you loved her that much. Are you *bleep*ing stupid?" Yeah, my inner self is kinda mean but it speaks the truth...

Yes, I'm just a _little bit _insane at times, but trust me, no one notices so we're all good~! If no one can tell (or cares to tell) then it's obviously not hurting anyone.

Awe, I like this chapter, though I have a moment where it's like "Are you serious? This is crap! Rewrite it, now!" I like the angstiness, and the happiness of the end. Honestly, if I wanted to end it with this I could, it's an understandable resolution, but I won't because MR. AWESOME MUST APPEAR! (Not for you, though Toni! You say I can't leave you alone, but you're not alone! You have Romano and Ita-chan! What, suddenly we're not enough? He's not enough?) I bleeping adore him too...well, I love Lud and I adore Gilbo. Maybe it's just me, maybe I have an affiliation for the Germans (I like Austria too, he's one of those amalgamations of all of my personal moes, but his English voice is sooo blleeeeping awwwfuuul! [wait, so is Gil's...] His Japanese seiyuu is...cute, _cute! _I can't deny him there...)

Oh, I call Hungary Mrs. Edelstein in here at some point...why? Because that's gotta be the cutest straight couple in Hetalia! (Sorry, Gil. I just can't deny them. That and I really dislike GilxRodi and GilxEli. My Lovi knows my favorite Gilx- couple, but you should, like, totally not ask her because it would _totally _ruin my awesome story! D: ) Just letting you know. I knew Rodi's last name, but I could have easily looked up Eli's. I did it because I wanted to, you got that? Support your favorite couples, you should!

Wanna know something guys? I have another story, a story I started in November of '10. Wanna know something else? Those who are fans of it (which it may not have) are going to kill me, because I haven't updated in a loooong time. I've been putting it off, choosing to write this or Barricade (that's a OHSHC fic I'm writing with another member on here. She's pretty awesome, I love her.) so I really need to write the next chapter of it (My heart was taken over by Hetalia, but deep down I know I must still love Host Club. I HAVE to!) so I may not update here until it's done and over with. Unless I have an incredibly angsty day, because those are the days that I need this fic. It's my way of venting in a way that doesn't annoy others. It's pretty amazing what a love for anime can do for you! (and writing about the character you cosplay. Don't ask why, I just relate myself to my characters occasionally...)

I wonder, are certain people (Lovi and Spain) still reading this? My Lovi likes cute!Lovi so I know I have her until Mr. Awesome shows up, but what about Spain...you still here, Toni~?

My poor Toni, so sick. All he would eat yesterday was a tomato! It made me sad...but in his sick state he actually let me sit next to him, so that was something that I took selfish pleasure in. (What's this? All angstiness goes to the story! Naughty Al3! No ranting about it in the author's letters! Fine, fine, I'll shut up) Either way, hopefully he's feeling better today...

Awe, I love ranting to you guys. Such good listeners~! (Heh, does anybody actually take the time to read these? I wonder...) Alas, I've run out of things to say, so...

**I DON'T OWN HETALIA: AXIS POWERS/WORLD SERIES (because if I did, the readers of this fan fiction wouldn't be the only people hearing about my inner angst, it would be the whole world of Hetalia fans :3)**

Feli didn't stop running until he had no choice in the matter. He was suddenly wracked by a violent choking, his throat ragged from running so far. He fell to the cold concrete, somewhat comforted by the feeling of the autumn evening's chills seeping into him through the ground. It made him feel like he could breathe, like the hot stuffiness was receding.

Crawling so he was slightly concealed from the human passers-by by the bushes of a nearby park, he curled up and continued to cry softly to himself, letting out nothing more than barely audible peeps every now and then. He didn't understand why it hurt so bad, all he knew was that it was worse than anything he'd felt in a long time. Maybe since his childhood when he learned of his beloved's fall...

This really was nothing compared to that. He knew that he shouldn't compare such trivial matters to the death of a loved one, but somehow he couldn't help it. His chest felt as though is would crack and split, and he wasn't exactly sure he would mind if it did. Anything had to be less agonizing than this.

He looked up, peering through the web of needles that was the bush. He watched the happy citizens frolicking through the park. Families, as happy as could be, engaging in picnics, outdoor games, feeding the ducks and other water fowl in the small pond, whatever families do.

He smiled as he watched a small girl running with a young German Shepherd puppy, holding the dog's toy inches from its face so that it would chase her. He laughed absently as the puppy, fed up with the chase, jumped for the toy, landing at the girl's ankles, causing her to stumble and fall to avoid squishing the fluffy dog. But then, he was reminded of his troubles as the girl's older brother ran over to her, exclaiming in concern as he picked his fallen sister up off the ground. _That's how I always wanted _him _to be, wasn't it? _He thought back to the days of his childhood, recalling the times he'd fallen and the way Lovino had ignorantly scoffed at or smacked his outstretched hand as he pleaded for help. As he thought back to the cold demeanor, he wondered whether he'd rather that than the new, lovey, somewhat _childish_ attitude Lovino had taken up, meriting a few more tears and an uneven deep breath.

He tried to push the thoughts away, focusing on the family again. The language they were speaking, what was it? It wasn't Italian, or English, but somehow it was familiar to him...

Wiping his eyes, Feli began to crawl out of the bush. When he got out, feeling a bit of stinging here and there from the many places the rough and sharp branches scraped against his skin, he looked around at his surrounding environment. Not one of luxury and art like his own Italia, but something of order and peace...kind of like...

Suddenly he was struck by the horror of realizing just where he was. Why had he gone there? Didn't he want to go home, where he could cry, unknown to the world? Wasn't he aiming for the confines of his room where no one could see him and hold his senseless, selfish pain against him?

His mind racing, he was aware of only one thing: he had to leave. Quickly. The less that noticed him the better. He turned around rapidly, almost running into a tall blond woman. His eyes widened and he stuttered incoherently in Italian, trying hard to speak an apology but too tongue-tied to make it so.

Worry painted the woman's face. She leaned down to Feli's level, placing her hand gingerly on his shoulder. "Are you alright, sir?" she asked in her native language.

Realizing just how awful he must have looked, he suddenly felt very guilty. The woman was obviously very kind-and beautiful. In a normal state of mind, Feli naturally would have flirted with her-and his repulsively depressing state obviously would have caused her, and any other kind person he encountered, even the slightest concern.

Shaking his head, trying to remember anything he could in the language he had been trying to learn since he'd gained a friendship with the indigenous country, he spurted out hastily that he was fine, that he was sorry, that she shouldn't worry, that he was stupid and she needn't give thought to him or his physical state. A look of confusion crossed her face.

"You are a foreigner, I presume?" she guessed, interrupting his stream of apologies.

Feli stopped abruptly, blushing. He knew he was no good with any language that wasn't Latin based, but was he completely incompetent in it? He'd lived around it for so long, both during his childhood and around his best friend, one would think he'd be able to speak it at least somewhat coherently. Ducking his head in shame, he nodded.

The girl smiled warmly. "I can tell. You did alright, though. What is your primary language, perhaps I know it?" He told her, with a stifled smile, that he was Italian.

She pondered it, then shook her head sadly. "I know nothing of the Italian language, but I do speak a little Spanish and English. Can you speak either of those?"

Brightening, Feli nodded gladly. "I speak English fluently!" he chimed eagerly in perfect American dialect. He had to, after all. He was a nation, and English was considered the "Universal Language." He envied Alfred for this, learning other languages was hard! "I know a few phrases in Spanish, but they're only the ones my fratello-ah, brother uses all the time, and they're all a little...inappropriate..." He blushed, thinking of the selective qualities of his brother's mind. Then he sighed, realizing he may never see that side of said beloved brother again.

The girl smiled sadly. She thought for an instant that the boy before her would smile wholeheartedly. The flash of happiness was nothing more than a teaser, however, only succeeding to make her want to see the brilliant beam again, and for longer. That brief instant had shown her that the smile belonged there, probably quite at home being there.

"Well, then why don't we use English to communicate. That ought to make things a lot easier, don't you agree?" He smiled, nodding. She still had a bit of an accent, but he could tell that she had learned Arthur's dialect. Still, it would still be easier than trying to piece together what he knew of her language.

She, too, smiled happily, relishing in the glimpse of the adorable smile again. "So, what brings you here? Are you traveling?" she inquired.

Again, Feli darkened in expression, causing the girl to huff out in exasperation. "Umm-" she began.

A look of sudden terror crossed the boy's face. "Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed, jumping up. He looked at the girl, embarrassed and guilty. "I-I'm sorry, miss. I can't stay here. If my friend sees me...well, I can't let it happen...and I don't know where he is, but he lives near here so-"

"What if we go somewhere else, then? How about...out for coffee?" she suggested.

Feliciano was about to decline, but a cup of coffee or ten might do him some good... He wavered over the matter, then deciding that a cafe may have been the safest place in the country for him right now, he sighed and nodded. The woman stood up beside him, beaming at him in glee. "Then let's go, I know a place where they brew it pretty strong, so it might be better for you." His expression softened, realizing that, though cliche, her suggestion of coffee was actually based on a little background knowledge. She took this as a sign that he was feeling better, and thusly took his arm at the elbow. He blushed at the gesture, but didn't decline. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to walking like this with someone.

~.~.~

Receiving both the mug _and _the pot of coffee, Feliciano felt instantly rejuvenated. He'd have plenty to get his spirits up.

He'd learned on the way there that the girl's name, ironically, was Felicie. She had delighted at his laughter upon the likeness of their names, especially since her language wasn't Latin derived, so the name was an unlikely coincidence. She explained that he could use her nickname, "Eli", but he only laughed more, telling her that that was what he called Elizabeta (who he described as his "adopted mother" since she might find it a little odd for him to call her his coworker or fellow servent) after her had gotten over the formal stage of calling her Mrs. Edelstein (unsure of what to call her, since technically he had called her by her country name) but couldn't yet pronounce the Germanic name. Finally, in a burst of forwardness, he asked if he could simply call her "Felice," the Italian word for happiness. Blushing, she consented.

He had learned that she was a freshman in college, studying to major in Ancient European history (Feli had a hard time stifling the laugh for that one). Pretending to be interested and uninformed, he perused her library of knowledge on the matter, taking a specific interest in what she had to say about his ancestors. Of course, what she said about the Greek colonization of the south and the Etruscans didn't even begin to amount to any importance in his mind, but the moment she mentioned the rise and fall of the Roman Empire he was immediately swept back into his shroud of despair, fighting hard against the tears that welled in his eyes. If ever he wished that his Grandfather was still alive, it was times like now when he felt alone and worthless. Felice simply watched with careful eyes and squeezed his arm for comfort, gaining at least a little bit of pain from the boy to her side.

Then she started into the attempts at rekindling what Rome lost: the Holy Roman Empire.

Cringing at this, Feli told her that he knew plenty about that particular subject, that he was very well acquainted with the failed empire, and that he didn't need any further details. Well, it was true, wasn't it? They were well acquainted, and he didn't _want_ to be reminded. He knew enough to know that his beloved had fallen, painfully. He knew it could only make the yearning and heartache so much worse if he knew _just how_ painful the fall had been.

After that she had gone on to describe Ancient Greece. Of course, Feli knew Greece, and none of the stories of the ex-city states seemed to describe the lazy, kitty loving nation that slept through every world conference. The only believable parts were those about philosophy and pondering. Herecles definitely did think a lot. Whether it was worldly and wise or not, Feli couldn't vouch for.

After they arrived at the cafe, they had both quieted down, silently sipping their coffee in sanctuary. It was Felice that broke the silence, not surprising for the bubbly Italian's current mood.

"So, you never answered me," she reminded him casually.

He looked up and tilted his head. "What did you ask?"

"What brings you here?"

Feli thought, and found himself without an answer. What could he say? His brother was suddenly nice to him so he ran away? He was sure even Felice would question his sanity at that point. "Umm, I just needed to get away...you know?"

She nodded, seemingly understanding. "From?" she pursued.

Feli bit his lip. Why did she care, anyway? "I just..." He sighed. "Family issues..." he mumbled, folding his arms on the table and laying his head on them.

Felicie, concern clear in her eyes, scrutinized the depressed Italian boy. What could really be so bad? "Family issues, and to get away from them you came all the way to-"

"I-Italy?" a deep voice demanded from the corner of the shop. Felicie looked back quickly, shocked at the exclamation, whereas Feli jumped, crying out a sharp "Oh no!" before burying his face in his arms. What was he doing here, there was no reason for him to be in a cafe! He didn't even like coffee, or tea or sweets for that matter, so what-

"What do you think you are doing here without prior notice?" the blond man inquired, his voice stern.

Felicie turned around, confused beyond reasoning. "Do you know each other?" she asked politely.

Feli, still shivering and hiding in his sleeves made a tiny peep, then sat up, smiling despite his inner frustration and anxiety at having been found by the last person he wanted to see. "O-oh, Ludwig, h-h-how are y-you?" he barely managed to stutter out. "This was the l-last place I exp-p-pected to s-see you! Wh-What are you..." he trailed off, losing his voice.

The German seemed rather confused by the use of his human name, but understood after a thorough once over of the very human woman sitting at the table. "Ja, this is where I _always _get your coffee, _Feliciano_." He had to force himself to use the name, and it didn't sound good on his German tongue. Not nearly as sweet as his own had sounded in Feli's soft Italian murmur. He flushed slightly, shaking his head.

Feli, on the other hand, was thrilled. Ludwig had never used his human name, and despite the rough, cacophonous sound his accent gave it, it seemed plenty musical to Feli. Noticing the endearing and blissful look he got from the pleased Italian, Ludwig flushed deeper and looked away. "Well, are you going to answer my question or not?" he growled impatiently.

Still ecstatic, Feli smiled. "I've been talking to-"

"Alright, I've heard enough!" he interjected. He turned to Felicie, and bowed apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, miss," He spoke in German, but Feli had the language skills to pick out the words he knew, and he knew the word "inconvenience" all too well. He ducked his head, hurt and ashamed.

Noting this Felicie ruffled his bangs. "There was no inconvenience, he was fun to talk to!" she assured.

Looking at her for a long moment, Ludwig looked doubtful. Shaking his head he sighed. "Well, this will pay for the cost of his beverages, I'm sure." He set a small roll of euros on the table. "I'll take him from here, Madame. C'mon, Ita-Feliciano." Giggling, despite the tears in his eyes and the pain on his chest, Feli allowed Ludwig to take him by the hand.

"Alright, grazie Felice! Ciao!" he sang to her as his friend towed him out of the room.

"Ciao, Feliciano!" she called back. The boy was smiling now. That's all she wanted after all.

~.~.~

"G-Germany~!" he cried out, unable to keep pace with the embarrassed German dragging him. "S-slow down!"

"Ne-nein," he denied, too flustered to think clearly.

"P-per favor-_e!_" he begged, straining the last syllable as he stumbled and fell, slamming his knee into the hard concrete sidewalk. He whimpered silently, his voice still raspy from crying.

Panicking, Ludwig whipped around, jerking the Italian up off the ground and onto his feet. "Oi, s-sorry, Italia!" Now a very short distance from him, Ludwig could see the abnormalities on Feli, the most peculiar being the flecks of green in his auburn hair. "Italia, why are there pine needles in your hair?" he asked. He pulled out the pieces of twig, making Feli shudder. "And your face is all scraped up." His voice was borderline alarmed as he pulled Feli's face up by the chin, examining it carefully. "And your uniform is a complete wreck-did someone throw you in a bush?" he asked incredulously, though not without a little threat.

"N-no," Feli admitted. "I, uh, crawled in on my own..." The incredulousness changed to full blown confusion.

"Why would you do-you were crying," he accused instantly, taking note of the redness where water had corroded the skin of Feli's face.

Tensing, the boy wrenched away from Ludwig, hiding his eyes as they welled again in pure embarrassment. How could he notice, it had been almost an hour since his last tear had fallen, or at least since they had stopped for the most part. He couldn't say he hadn't wiped his cheeks to catch the single ones that had escaped since. "W-why do you think th-that?" he mumbled, proving to the German that he was right. Whatever it was about him, Feliciano always tried to hide his tears. Sometimes he did better than others, but the attempt was always there.

He sighed, trying in vain to get rid of the feeling of warmth in his cheeks. "Because I know what you do when you cry," he claimed. He pulled Feli's face up, searching out the signs. "And I know what to look for when I think you have been." He touched one of the now burning cheeks (though he tried not to contemplate too long over just why his friend was blushing at such rough, simple contact. They were friends, there was nothing wrong with this...) "For starters, your face is dry and rough. I know well enough that you work hard to keep clean, smooth skin, because I've yelled at you for it countless times." He knew he shouldn't yell for such simple things, but it just wasn't _right! _Feliciano was a man, a _soldier _no less. Why did he need to have flawless skin? It was a luxury that only proved to agitate the German. Besides, for some reason it made him more feminine, and Germany wasn't so sure about how he felt about that idea. He was either upset that his best friend looked like a woman to him, or not so upset, which proved to upset him because he just _shouldn't be thinking like that!_

He cringed away from the gloved hand that held his face (of course Germany was in his uniform. Feli wondered if he had to work.), hiding his face in his bangs. "It's just because I..." He deliberated for a moment. "I ran out of moisturizer, and I haven't had the chance to buy more yet..." He was almost positive he would be reprimanded for his description. Something in the genre of "Never say that again, you pathetic girl." Of course, Ludwig was too kind to say it like that, but it would be in that meaning.

Instead, however, Ludwig just regained control of his face, looking into the red rimmed eyes. He wouldn't mention that, it was just a little too...upsetting. Whatever Feliciano had cried about, he had done so quite heavily for the marks to still be there.

"Then what about your lower lip. You chew on it a lot when you're upset, and it's rubbed nearly raw."

Keeping his eyes from contact with the deep blue that bore down on him, Feli smiled nervously. "I...haven't eaten today...so I was gnawing on my lip while I thought about it. Which reminds me, I'm really hungry. I think I'd better go get myself something to eat." He smiled, slipping out of the hand once more, and beginning his bound toward home.

"Wha-wait!" Ludwig ordered, snatching Feli's arm to keep him where he was. Feli looked up at him in confusion and slight worry. "Wh-why don't we get lunch together?" he offered, looking away.

Feeling both a bolting joy and sickening fear at this idea, Feli couldn't force himself to really deny it. "B-b-but you're wearing your uniform!" he pointed out. "Don't you have work?"

The German shook his head, rubbing the back of his head. "Nein, I had a short meeting with my Fuhrer, but there wasn't much to talk about. I was just going to get your coffee and go home. But if you wanted to..." He swallowed, worried with how the wording sounded. "...to go out, I wouldn't mind."

Feli brightened considerably, forgetting momentarily about everything from before. Only one thing mattered right then: Germany wanted to have lunch with him!

"I'd love to!" he sang, flushed a deep red from pleasure.

Ludwig blushed, a little put off by the excitement in his friends voice. _So happy. Why? I'm not that special. _It wasn't really an insecurity statement, just the blunt truth. Everyone loved little Italy-he couldn't really think of any real reason why they wouldn't-and would be thrilled to have lunch with him, and they were best friends so it's not like they hadn't had similar outings before, but somehow he managed to get _this _excited. Ludwig smirked, that smile was pretty...cute...and even if he denied it he doubted he could convince anyone that it didn't please him just a little bit that it was for him. Somehow Feliciano had a lot of smiles for him, and he wasn't always so willing to give one back.

"Well then, let's go...do you have a specific place you want to go?" He grew wary as the boy explored the choices in his head. He really didn't like pasta, and ninety nine point nine-not just one nine, either. They were continued until the number of times that wasn't what he wanted was so small it was basically nonexistent-percent of the time that was the thing Feli wanted.

He sighed a little in relief when Feli shook his head. "You can choose, Germany!"

Shrugging, he began walking in the direction of a sandwich shop he knew of. He just wanted something...simple. Feli trotted beside him, humming in contentment.

Suddenly, however, the humming stopped, causing him to look over at his silly best friend. The expression wasn't really that of pain, but more of saddening review. "Is something...wrong?" he asked hesitantly.

Feli bit his lip. "Well, I..." He thought, shrinking into himself with every passing second. "Am I really an 'inconvenience' to you, Germany? Is that all you see when you think of me?" The boy looked horribly dejected, causing Germany to pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation at himself.

"You understood that, then," he assessed. Solemnly, Feli nodded.

"Austria...used it a lot in the beginning...you know, when I was still klutzy and worthless to him..." _Maybe I haven't really changed all that much..._

"Well, Italien, sometimes you can be, but I wasn't really talking about you." Best to be honest. He couldn't help it, sometimes Italy just wasn't very much help. In war, that made him a liability. "It was just the more polite thing to say, in the case that she had something important planned, or the money was a little more than she was hoping to pay for a cup of coffee. I didn't mean it towards you in a hurtful way."

Smiling, still slightly upset but not on the verge of tears as he had seemed before, Feliciano sighed. "Okay..."

Sensing the remaining hurt there, he felt the need to go further, in hopes that he might get rid of whatever weight Italy held on his heart. "A-and, I didn't know you when you belonged to Austria, and I'll admit that you're still very, _very _clumsy, but I'm confident that you were never worthless." Now he had himself in a crimson blush, embarrassed about his attempts to convince the Italian of what a prize he was. He was his best friend, though! Certainly a good friend wouldn't let him go on in that pitiful state of self critique.

All he received was a disbelieving scoff. "Right, you wouldn't know..." Ludwig was about to argue, but the boy moved the subject as instantly as possible. "So, um, what am I to you?" he asked.

Ludwig thought, how was he supposed to answer that? _Gottverdammt, Feliciano. What do you expect me to say? _He tentatively set one foot in the potential minefield. "Well, we are allies of course."

He realized he'd stepped wrong as Feliciano slumped slightly beside him. "Oh..."

"A-and my best friend!" he added quickly to the previous answer.

Feli looked up slightly, afraid of eye contact. "Just as countries, or on a personal level?" he pursued warily.

One more step. "Both! We're not just nations, Italia. We are friends even after that!" His voice was slightly higher than normal talking, though not quite shouting.

"Then why..." Feli began, swallowed, and tried again. "Then why don't we spend time together more often, just the two of us?"

Ludwig looked at him with confusion. "Italy, we practically live together. What more can you ask for?"

"I don't know..." His voice trailed off. He silently stared at his feet as they walked.

Ludwig huffed out. He just couldn't win back the smile. "What else?" he demanded, perhaps a little too sternly.

All he got was a nervous Italian, biting down hard on his already sore looking lower lip. "Tell me what else is bothering you, Italia," he insisted.

He looked unsure, but gave in despite his fears. "I-if we're f-friends away from war, th-then why do we have to use our c-country names?" His words were rushed, but they hit Ludwig hard. Blushing again, he took a deep breath.

"If it should so please you then we can...use the other ones..." he muttered quietly.

Feli perked up, looking up into Ludwig's brilliant blue eyes with hope. "R-really?" he cried out happily, surprisedly.

"O-of course...Feliciano. Any-anything you want. Now, are you feeling better n-"

"Oh, grazie Ludi!" Feli cooed, flushed again from hearing his name on Germany's tongue. He hugged the German with undeniable enthusiasm and happiness, making him stumble.

Ludwig tensed instinctively, his face the color of a beet. "Wh-wh-what are you doi-"

"Ah!" Feli cried. He jumped off and away from his friend, wanting to recoil into a hole and never come out. Ludi had said they could use different names, not hug. He probably felt awkward beyond belief. "S-sorry, Ludwig..."

Noting Feliciano's obvious guilt, Ludwig sighed. He offered his arm out to his friend, still tomato red and completely embarrassed.

Feliciano looked at him in confusion. Carefully, slowly, Feli reached to him and linked arms with him, looking into Ludwig's face to watch for any sign that he had read the gesture wrong. He received none.

He giggled, cuddling up to the arm he was offered, humming to himself in undeniable and unbreakable bliss. _Grazie, Ludi. _he thought happily to himself. _Grazie mille...Ti amo..._

~.~.~

Well, that thar is the end. See~? I told you Lud would show up soon~! (did I do okay with his character?) Gotta love GerIta (who's ready for all of it to come crashing down and for Ludi to fall for Romano? Just kidding, that totally isn't going to happen...maybe... :3 Who knows, only my inner self can tell~!)

Awe~! ~3 ~3! Who wants a German Shepherd puppy now? Raise of hands? It was going to be Rottweiller (I love those dogs! X/3) but it seemed a little too...not fluffeh. I needed fluff, and have you ever seen a German Shepherd puppy? Oh mein gott! So fluffeh~! I flipping-oh, I love Geman dogs! -shudders- it scares me how much I adore them. Awe, now I want my sister's rottweiller! I'm having a craving for German puppies!...and now...a craving for Mr. _Awesome_! (I have those when reminded of them) Too bad our Germany doesn't want one...I still want a bleeping puppy! TvT

Okay, getting serious now. So the little OC chick, Felicie? Yeah, I realize that her name is perhaps a little lame to you. Trust me, I went and found a list of German names (I knew a German girl once...kinda...anyway, she was awesome. X3 She made me have random fan girl-isms occasionally, but she never knew about them. I just had to tell you about her) but I wanted one that didn't totally scream "They're in Germany!" because I was enjoying dropping not so subtle little hints here and there. I guess the name wasn't obvious enough...anyway, I found a few, but then I found Felicie and was like "Oh, dude! She's totally gonna have a Latin derived name! Woo~!" and thus...I dunno. Oh, by the way, the nickname Felice will be used again, but it's gonna be so bleeping cute that it'll knock your socks off! (what does that even mean? that expression is so weird...) Oh, and then there's her chosen study. Was that lame, or just cleverly convenient? So I didn't really like that section! Who cares!

About the linking arms. I guess in Italy that's common for friends of the same gender, but I wonder if Lud knew that...ohohoho, no, let's not give it too much thought (honestly, I learned that after I wrote it. In fact, this chapter has been done for almost three days now. Do you totally hate me? I still had to proofread, okay?) Oh, and the little uses of Italian and German in there...I'm sure you can guess their meaning, so I'm not gonna go through and translate. If you have a specific question then ask. I'll explain it then.

Gott, I dunno what else to write. It's bleeping 1:20 in the morning, I'm tired... -.-~zzzz But whatever, gotta get this up, because the world must know of my total unawesome chapter! Yeah, hopefully we shall see you in chapter four. I'm pretty sure this is the point where everything goes horribly wrong. Poor Feli, I just can't allow you to be happy for any long amount of time! This is mirroring my life, after all, I must make you out to be a martyr even if you're really just over reacting to the situation (It must happen)

Oh, and reviewing would be awesome of you. If you want you can tell me where you wanna see this go, what you wanna see happen next chapter. I've already kinda decided, but if you tell me what you want to see you might just sway my decisions! Should we go further into the LudxFeli, or should we kill it? Pound it into shonen-ai pixie dust and use it to fertilize a cemetary? You know you wanna see it continued, right? But you might wanna see Feli in pain just as much as I obviously do, so who knows what you'll say. Come on people, I see you favoriting and adding this story to your alerts list, you should totally tell me why! If you tell me not to reply I won't~! D: Per favore! Oh, and if you wanna see a specific character show up soon you should tell me that too...

So I guess this is Ciao for now, til next time~!


End file.
